A typical reverse osmosis water filtering system uses a semi-permeable membrane that has the ability to remove and reject a wide spectrum of impurities and contaminants from water. These contaminants are automatically rinsed down the drain. The purified water is then stored in a tank.
Typically, a predetermined pressure is applied to incoming water to force the incoming water through the membrane. The membrane filters impurities from the incoming water leaving purified water on the other side of the membrane called permeate water. The impurities left on the membrane are washed away by a portion of the incoming water that does not pass through the membrane. The water carrying the impurities washed away from the membrane is called “concentrate water.”